Wednesday, December 4, 2013

BLOG TOUR + GIVEAWAY ~Left Drowning by Jessica Park~

Title: Left DrowningAuthor: Jessica ParkRelease Date: July 16, 2013

My Rating: 5++ Stars (yes, double plus signs)

What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?

Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning.

*This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content, and is recommended for Ages 17+

I'm warning you now, I'm not sure how fruitful this review is going to be. Only because, this book did such a number on me that, I still can't even fully explain how much I am absolutely, positively in love with it. I mean, you saw my rating, right?! 5++ Stars, that's a first for Same Book, Different Review. But here it goes.

"This boy makes it impossible for me to be pulled under."

~Blythe

Left Drowning had everything that I look for in a book and so, SO much more. This book and its characters mesmerized me from page one and I'm pretty sure I'm still a little hazy. I have read some fantastic books, that allowed me to channel the emotions through the characters but, this was a whole new ball game for me. The emotions that I experienced while reading Left Drowning were raised to the nth degree. The highs were higher and the lows were lower than most, if not all, of the other books I have read. I can't even pinpoint one specific thing that made this book so fabulous. It just struck a chord with me and now that I'm finished reading it I feel completely bereft. Someone actually asked me today, what book caused my worst book hangover. My answer? Left Drowning. The easiest way to explain it, is that this book simply wrecked me. It's a book that, even a couple days later I can remember one part of it, and that emotion I felt still rings so clearly, and makes my heart clench. It raised the bar for all other books, in my opinion.

"The wine is out of my system, my thoughts are clear, and I am hit with the enormity of the impact this family is having in my life. They, and mostly Chris, are saving me. Or teaching me to save myself."

~Blythe

Left Drowning follows the life of Blythe McGuire, told in her POV. When we meet Blythe, she is struggling through senior year at Matthews College and her life is muted. Everything to her is dull, and depressing. Until one day she meets two brothers, who will change her life forever. Sabin introduces himself to Blythe by stealing her coffee, and captivating her with his upbeat personality. Chris, on the other, is a kindred spirit. Blythe can tell he has a dark soul, just like her, but there is something more to him that pulls her. Sabin, becomes the best friend she never had, while Chris becomes her home base. Chris and Sabin, along with their twin siblings Eric and Estelle, bring Blythe into their family fold and teach her how to live again.

"You are the greatest love of my life that I'm never going to have."

~Blythe

Blythe and Chris are excellent friends but, they know they could be explosive as a couple. Blythe, well on her way to healing and making peace with her tragic past, is more accepting of their relationship than Chris. He can't help but think that, he will tear her back down with his haunted past. Chris may have saved Blythe from her demons but, he hasn't found a way to save himself or his siblings, and isn't about to let Blythe return the favor. This book is a series of ups and downs. It's painful, then comical, heart-breaking, then uplifting. The rollercoaster of emotions never stops. Heck, it still hasn't stopped for me! This cast of characters has been so damaged, that I'm surprised they held together this long. With Chris as the glue, when he starts to unravel... so does everyone else. At one point, I was huddled in my bed just staring blankly ahead wondering what in the hell had just happened. Then, I finally saw things coming to a close, and my heart was stomped on once again. And even though it had a happy ending that I love and crave, every one of the characters still have a long road of recovery ahead of them! I feel like I need to have at least one book a year with this cast of characters, checking in and seeing how everyone is doing. Like a well check-up book. That can be done.. right? (Note: I have no qualms about begging).

"Breathe into it."

~Chris

Left Drowning is truly a masterpiece and will be re-read several times by me, and I'm sure by many others. It is a fantastic book that will leave you satisfied, and wanting more all at the same time. I ached for and with Bylthe and the Shepherd siblings. But I also laughed at their antics and swooned at the connection between Chris and Blythe. For me, this book is worthy of sitting prettily on my bookshelf with my other favorite books and not just locked in my ereader. And if you know me, that's a true testament to my love for this book. If it makes my physical book collection, it's golden. So, pretty please go 1-click this wonderful book! You won't regret it! :)

Jessica is the author of New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE, RELATIVELY FAMOUS, and the NA novel, LEFT DROWNING. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.

Thank you for the giveaway. I loved this book and the relationship between Blythe and the Shepards throughout the whole book. Most of all how they were fated to be together again after their first occurrence.

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